New attitudes to Hemp enable an agricultural comeback

Published byHemp

Friday 2 March 2012

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With an ever-changing need worldwide for different products over the centuries, agriculture moves on with demand. Some crops, for a variety of reasons, became less favorable to farmers and were not produced in many places; one of the victims was the Hemp plant, a once favorite crop by farmers worldwide due to its diversity of use. Since history has been recorded, hemp has been a popular crop grown by farmers from China across to Europe and Britain. Hemp production was banned in many countries and this resulted in a big gap in the fiber market, so other crops had to be found and cotton seemed to fit the bill.

Originally the issue was related to the psychoactive components of some types of marijuana. Without a clear direction and no way to lawfully distinguish the non-THC hemp from the psychoactive version marijuana there was confusion which caused many governments to ban the production of all types of hemp plants.

Hemp with a high psychoactive content turned out to be a good treatment for a number of the symptoms of some common disorders; and has not brought about the death and destruction that was once suggested it might. There are a range of other substances that in reality did fill these shoes as evil destroyers, including alcohol and tobacco. When cannabis was banned in the last century, opium, one of the most addictive substances known to man was still legally available!

There is a different view from the medical profession these days.

With government attitudes being changed by better education and research, hemp production is now actively encouraged again. With growing non-THC hemp legalized again, production has risen dramatically. With better research and more modern approaches, there has been much development in the hemp industry consequently this amazingly useful plant can be utilized in eco-friendly and sustainable building materials, plastics, fiber to make clothing and other soft products, and one of the most useful components of the plant - Hempseed.

Hempseed is extremely important

There is good reason for hempseed to be seen as preferable to similar crops such as flaxseed; Its true we need that seed to be able to sow acres of hemp farm each year, other properties of hempseed make it special not for just one reason; from the high quality proteins and EFA’s available, to the large amount of oil produced.

So let’s find out some more:

To figure out why hemp seed is so important, we can examine the components that make it such a top performer.

Hemp seed contains a lot of oil that is extracted as hempseed oil. The actual ratio of oil to mass is very high - commonly, about thirty per cent of the seed is hempseed oil.

When we look at the oil itself there are some very important nutritional aspects:

With hempseed oil being made up of 25 % protein - a high quality protein too!

Hempseed protein is 65% composed of the globular protein known as edestin. Similar to globulin, edestin is in the same protein family as this important blood plasma component. This makes this particular protein very easy for the human body to assimilate. The antibodies that work against toxic agents in the body are also produced from the edestin protein - for those with kidney problems, this can be very helpful.

The other protein found in hemp is albumin. This is an easily absorbed protein that reduces free radicals. These are reasons why hemp protein has proved popular among athletes.

The 3:1 omega6:omega3 ratio (with 90% polyunsaturated, 10% saturated fats)happens to match the human body’s own natural ratio requirements. Hempseed oil is unique in this respect - there are no known alternatives in the natural world that have this “golden” ratio and these EFA’s are especially important to human metabolism.

Flaxseed oil contains EFA’s too but not in the correct proportions and is not suitable for long-term use because repeated dosage will cause the human body to have an imbalance in its EFAs. Conversely, hempseed oil is a perfect supplement to take regularly or can be used in cooking/food preparation as an olive oil replacement.

Anyone who wants a sharp mind should find out about the benefits of omega-3 and omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids to the human nervous (and immune) systems. Hempseed oil contains a large proportion of EFA’s - over 80%!

These EFA’s are only obtainable through food - the human body cannot produce them itself; in developed nations the common diet of junk and processed foods contains no EFA’s at all which can only be sourced from plants and not animal fats.

This makes hempseed oil in the diet not just a sensible idea, but it also provides a healthier body and can increase longevity as a result.

Hempseed oil makes great tasting food

Hempseed oil is flavorsome and is a lot better to eat than fish oils which are notoriously odorous. Although not suitable for frying, hempseed oil can be added to food to enhance flavor as it is, or taken as a supplement instead; it also makes a good salad dressing. The small amount of hempseed oil required is a simple addition to any diet. Eczema and other skin complaints can be addressed with hempseed oil - a much less dangerous treatment than is otherwise available.

Flour can be made from hempseed and used to bake delicious pastries and breads; hempseed oil butter is another favorite. Hempseed is suitable for the production of a number of vegetarian products such as tofu.

Hemp Seed - The Great Protector!

The human metabolism can utilize hempseed oil in a number of ways to improve function:

· Blood pressure lowering

· Improves circulation and cardiovascular function

· Immune system booster

· Increases metabolic rate & energy levels

· Reduces menstrual cramps & PMS problems

· Reduction of Blood LDL Cholesterol

· Reduces inflammation & arthritis symptoms

· Post exercise recovery improvement

· Reduces dry skin and improves on hair condition

· Increased protection against many degenerative diseases

Few dietary components can match the benefits offered by hempseed foods. The balance of components in hempseed is perfect for the human body and metabolism. A daily addition of hempseed oil to the world’s dietary intake would improve general health significantly!

This is just a general introduction to hemp food nutrition and hempseed properties, visit: